Chapter 2

When the car pulled up to the Hayes mansion, Julian ordered the staff to take me to the bathroom to wash up. I refused the maids’ help, only asking them to find a long dress, one that covered my ankles, from my old wardrobe.

They searched for a while, finally pulling out a conservative long-sleeved dress, like a student's uniform, from a corner amidst various fashionable outfits.

No one dictates what a student should wear, but looking at myself in the mirror, I certainly looked more like a student than with my previous flamboyant style.

I remembered receiving an acceptance letter to a top design academy abroad before the kidnapping. Now, three months had already passed since the reporting date.

“Thank you.”

The maids looked startled, clearly not expecting their young mistress to thank them.

But after everything that happened, I understood perfectly well that, at my core, I was just like them. They were maids hired by the Hayes family; I was merely a daughter they had taken in.

Pushing the door open, I saw Julian waiting for me at the top of the stairs. He leaned casually against the railing, his eyes lazily sweeping over me before he let out a scoff.

“Scarlett, what game are you playing now? Dressed like that.”

Was I plain? Julian probably thought this was another one of my childish ploys to get his attention, but all I wanted was to cover the scars on my body.

I followed Julian into the dining room. A heavy silence hung in the air until Julian gestured for me to approach. Only then did I see Mr. and Mrs. Hayes sitting at the dining table, their faces etched with worry.

The moment Mrs. Hayes saw me, she rose, practically rushing over. Her steps faltered, and a woman beside her, Valerie Stone, Julian’s secretary, thoughtfully supported her.

“Mrs. Hayes, please don’t rush. Miss Scarlett is back, safe and sound, isn’t she? Miss Scarlett, Mrs. Hayes has been worried sick about you.”

I recognized her. She was Julian’s secretary.

Valerie Stone had natural black hair, and was dressed in the simplest, most unassuming high-neck sweater and jeans, yet a beautiful rose gold necklace hung around her neck.

I was “safe and sound.” In contrast, Mrs. Hayes had worried herself sick. The moment Valerie spoke, I was transformed from a victim into an ungrateful daughter of the Hayes family.

Mrs. Hayes clung to me, weeping, while Valerie comforted her beside us. But I couldn't cry. I looked at Julian, and his eyes seemed to say I was heartless.

Finally, Mr. Hayes spoke sternly, interrupting them. “Stop holding Scarlett. Let her come and eat.”

Mrs. Hayes wiped away her tears. “My fault, my fault. My dear girl, you’ve suffered so much these past months. You must not have eaten properly. Come, I made your favorite fish chowder!”

Mrs. Hayes pulled me to sit between her and Mr. Hayes. Julian sat opposite me, with Valerie next to him.

It looked so much like a family.

I stared at the food on my plate, a feast of color, aroma, and taste. I had almost forgotten what normal food looked like. I wanted so badly to toss my forks aside and just grab it with my hands and shove it into my mouth.

The closer I got to the city highway, the stricter the sanitation management became. Gradually, I couldn’t find any trash heaps, which meant no food. So I’d been starving for almost three days, forced to eat leaves to survive.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, I forced myself to pick up the bowl and shovel rice into my mouth with my forks. Even so, I still caught Valerie’s mocking gaze. She ate daintily, a small bite at a time, showcasing her elegance.

Julian, seeing this, naturally looked even more disgusted with me. Yet, at Mrs. Hayes’s prompting, he reluctantly picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and placed it on my plate.

I had thought that even the plainest white bread and rice, which I once found hard to swallow, I could now devour. But looking at the tempting sweet and sour pork, and knowing Julian had served it to me, my stomach churned with nausea.

“My dear, eat! Julian knows you like sweet and sour, so he specifically asked the chef to add this dish.”

Lies. Julian knew nothing about my preferences. On the contrary, I knew his tastes inside out. For example, gold – he loved rose gold the most.

Seeing my hesitant grip on the forks, Mr. Hayes asked kindly, “What’s wrong, dear? Did you argue with Julian on the way back? Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him after dinner.”

“Dad!” Julian exclaimed, perhaps feeling embarrassed in front of Valerie.

I shook my head silently, overcoming the physiological nausea, and brought the sweet and sour pork to my mouth with my forks.

But the moment I swallowed, I threw it back up.

Julian’s expression was startled. I immediately stood up from the stool, clutching my head and backing into a corner.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’ll eat it, please don’t hit me!”

Everyone gasped. Mrs. Hayes’s tears started flowing again, and she came to embrace me. “Did those people abuse you, dear? Tell me, did they?”

Mr. Hayes and Julian also came over. Mr. Hayes looked heartbroken, gazing at me with immense pity.

Julian, however, frowned, remaining silent, his face turning incredibly dark.

What did that mean? Hadn’t the kidnappers threatened the Hayes family, saying if they didn't pay the ransom, they’d let their adopted daughter experience abuse?

So why were they asking me now if I had been abused?

Actually, giving me a moldy bun or spoiled rice wasn't exactly abuse, considering what I ate later was like pig slop.

But I was terrified, terrified of the feeling that my life was in Julian’s hands.

The kidnappers had negotiated directly with him, yet he chose to abandon me. He hated me that much.

I suppose, that’s where the physiological nausea came from.